I picked up Jamie Woon's debut on a lark after seeing a promotion in the HMV arguing that, if I liked Elbow, I would also like Mirrorwriting. The problem, as I've been reminded again, is that I don't really like Elbow, in the sense of deriving any serious joy from any of their songs. It's more that I respect the Elbow aesthetic. And moving that tasteful, lovelorn, uber-British vibe from a Manchester pub to a London club (or city street) is conceptually appealing. The result is exactly what I should have expected. The songs on Woon's debut are well constructed (although single "Lady Luck" loses some points for having a chorus melodically identical to the verse), smart, impossibly stylish, and really, really boring. Most of the tracks are just synthy/clubby enough to tap into the dupstep craze, though nothing actually sounds like dubstep, at least as I understand the phenomenon. And amid all the mannerisms, only "Spirits" achieves a level of stylish danceability that pushes it out beyond the overweening torpor of the album. Look, music should be smart and tight, but it should also appeal to your gut. Dance music should make you want to go clubbing, or at least throw your arms up in your kitchen, not just nod in intellectual appreciation at the singer's taste. I suppose people that don't find this boring would be correct in their assessment of its other merits. I can only speak for myself. The heart says 2.0. The head says 3.0.
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